Atlanta’s weather experienced a sudden change over the weekend, as temperatures dropped about 20 degrees compared to what we saw earlier in the month. The change was brought on by the first major upper level low pressure system driving cold air into the area.

The coldest of the temperatures for this round will be tonight and Wednesday, with temperatures in the upper 30s. Temps should stay below normal through the end of the first week of November, when we may see daytime temperatures above 70 degrees again.

The warmer than normal temperatures during the first part of the month, combined with a dry September have played havoc with the normal fall color and leaf peeping season. Last weekend I drove to Cincinnati and back. While Kentucky was beautiful, Tennessee and North Carolina, even in the Smokies, was still largely green, although clearly the leaves on the trees were thinner than they would be in midsummer. With little to no rain forecast for the next two weeks, we may see a less spectacular than normal fall season.

In case you’re wondering, the first freeze in the Atlanta area is normally around November 10th. Since 1948, the earliest freeze recorded at Hartsfield Airport was on October 18th, in 1948, and the latest freeze was on December 18th, in 1998. Of course, conditions at Hartsfield can vary a lot from what we see in Gwinnett. Last year, I recorded a freeze on November 14th, although Hartsfield didn’t see temperatures that low until December 14th.